An article of faith is a foundational belief, a core assumption which forms the basis for other beliefs and practices. In 1842, Joseph Smith wrote a letter to John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat, summarizing the events associated with the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (See Times and Seasons (Nauvoo, IL), 1 Mar. 1842, vol. 3, no. 9, pp. 703–718.) Joseph ended the letter with thirteen concise statements of belief. Those statements are known today as the Articles of Faith.
Here are some lessons I’ve learned from some of the Articles of Faith, with related blog posts:
- Article 3: We all need God’s grace to become pure and holy: Salvation Doth Not Come by the Law Alone – Mosiah 13:28.
- Article 4: The principles of faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost are interconnected and interdependent: Jesus Had Expounded All the Scriptures in One – 3 Nephi 23:14.
- Article 5: We should be careful whom we trust to be our spiritual leaders: He Consecrated All Their Priests and All Their Teachers – Mosiah 23:16-18.
- Article 7: The Holy Ghost can help us communicate more effectively: “All Kinds of Tongues” – Moroni 10:15.
- Article 8: God will compensate for deficiencies in the transmission of gospel principles: That Awful State of Blindness – 1 Nephi 13:32.
- Article 10: We can contribute to the building of a holy society that is prepared to meet Jesus when He comes again: What Is the New Jerusalem?
- Article 12: We must honor the law, even if we disagree with some parts of it: Amlici Did Stir up Those Who Were in His Favor – Alma 2:7-10.
- Article 13: We should strive to develop the following attributes: expansive belief, relentless optimism, and a willingness to submit to everything required by God: What Does It Mean to Believe, Hope, and Endure All Things?
The last two documents in the Doctrine and Covenants are called “official declarations.” Both of them announced significant changes in Church policies and practices. In both cases, those changes were rooted in principles taught in the Book of Mormon (Jacob 2:27 and 2 Nephi 26:33). Here are some principles and blog posts relating to those changes:
- Official Declaration 1: If we want to have strong marriages which can endure eternally, we need God’s help: Marriage.
- Official Declaration 1: We must carefully protect our most intimate relationships: Ye Have Broken the Hearts…and Lost the Confidence – Jacob 2:35.
- Official Declaration 2: God loves all of His children, and He wants us to value each other as He values each of us: What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Racism?
- Official Declaration 2: Each of us can contribute to helping others feel welcome and accepted: What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Inclusiveness?
Blog Posts: December 7-12
“Many Great and Important Things”
Commenting on the words of Isaiah, the prophet Nephi wrote: Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough! For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here…
“Waiting Upon the Spirit of the Lord” – Mosiah 21:33-34
After living in bondage for many years, King Limhi and his people remembered Alma, who had baptized a group of believers, organized the church, and then fled from the armies of Limhi’s father, King Noah. Limhi and his people wanted the same blessings Alma and his people had received, but it was not their time.…
“He Worketh in Me” – Words of Mormon 1:7
When Mormon decided to insert 142 pages of unabridged text into his book (1 Nephi through Omni), he knew it was a strange editorial decision. He explained to his future readers that he was doing this “for a wise purpose,” even though he did not know what that purpose was. “I do not know all…
Governed by the Law
“Let no man break the laws of the land,” said the Lord in an 1831 revelation to Joseph Smith, “for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:21). Jesus taught the same principle during His earthly ministry, “Render…unto Caesar the things which…
Line upon Line
“Precept must be upon precept,” wrote the prophet Isaiah, “precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line” (Isaiah 28:10, 13). If this passage sounds repetitive in English, it is even more so in Hebrew. The words for precept (tsav – צַו) and line (qav – קַו) are not only monosyllabic but they rhyme with…
We Believe All Things
A person who has charity, according to the apostle Paul, “believeth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). Mormon made the same assertion in a sermon on faith, hope, and charity. (See Moroni 7:45.) And Joseph Smith included the statement in one of the Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “We…
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